


The Years Between

by Tallihensia



Category: Smallville
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-25
Updated: 2014-01-25
Packaged: 2018-01-09 22:54:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1151773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tallihensia/pseuds/Tallihensia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Many, many years down the way, a glimpse into Clark and Lex's lives and what time has become.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Years Between

**Author's Note:**

> Another stuffer for Clexmas. (We had a couple of delays and needed more stuffers to fill the time between posts. ^^)
> 
> Final set of all Clexmas gifts is at: <http://clexmas.livejournal.com/90568.html>

## The Years Between

He was working when the communicator grabbed his attention. His mind still half on the work, he answered it. "Kranet."

"Lex?" The voice on the other end was ultimately familiar and dearer to him than the universe. The name brought him completely out of the world he was living in and took him back worlds and eons ago.

"Clark." The memory of the language they shared settled in through his atoms as he spoke the familiar syllables, while at the same time it sounded unfamiliar in the world he was in now. "Aruoka?" That was not right. Lex cleared his throat and concentrated. "Are you okay?"

There was an easy laugh. "I'm okay. But Lex, I miss you."

Until Clark had spoken, Lex hadn't. But with his voice, his need, the memory of him – the memory of _them_ … upon that instant, Lex did. "I miss you too. Do you want me to come to you?"

"Yes. Yes, please." The need was raw in his voice. "If you're not involved in anything right now?" The statement was made into a question with a hesitation and doubt.

There was nothing in the universe more important than Clark. Ever. "Nothing that matters. Where are you?"

Clark rattled off a name and set of coordinates.

Lex couldn't place it at all. "Are you in the Rallix Sector?"

Clark laughed. "Purox."

"Oh wonderful. My current sector is at war with them."

"They're at war with just about everybody. That's why I'm stuck here."

"You're not on a red-sun world, are you?"

There was a guilty silence on the other end. Lex thumped his head against the nearest smooth surface.

"Clark, how many times in our lifetime have I called you an idiot?"

More laughter that spoke of delight and fondness. Lex heard the sound and his need for Clark was sharper than any pain he'd ever experienced.

"A googolplex or more," Clark answered lightly. "Yes, I know. I'm sorry. It was… well, it wasn't an accident, but I didn't mean to get stuck."

"You never do." Lex sighed with his own fond attachment. Clark sometimes took time off, but eventually he went right back to saving people, and he always, but always, got himself into trouble at some point. "I'm surprised you've managed for…" Lex calculated out the conversion, "thirty-six years."

"Well, not quite, but it worked out. I was still mad at you for the first twenty."

Lex couldn't even remember what they'd argued about the last time. It didn't matter. "I can be there in a few…" he stopped to calculate again, "in a week."

"Weeks." Clark sounded wistful. "Seven day calendar based on a twenty-four hour world. I miss Earth."

Lex didn't. The world hadn't liked either of them, and though it might have been his natural home, he had never been so happy when they'd finally left it behind and were free to live their lives together without the baggage. But he liked Clark happy, so he didn't say any of that. "I found a little blue-white planet a few years ago when I was working with exploration. I didn't tell anybody."

"Can we go?"

He'd hidden it pretty well – it was probably still undiscovered. It had been primitive at the time. It was worth checking out, if only to see the happiness on Clark's face. "Sure."

They talked for almost half the diurnal cycle around. The years between were non-existent compared with the centuries they'd been together. Sometimes they might go their own way for awhile, but they always came back to each other. Always.

The talking only stopped so that Lex could get to the ship and go find Clark.

Soon, they'd be together again.

* * *

END 


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